The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC) has launched the new Destination Indigenous marketing campaign in an effort to encourage, highlight and educate travellers about the many Indigenous experiences that await Canadians.

Rolled out on June 21, in line with National Indigenous People’s Day, the marketing campaign includes the release of an experience Web booking platform that links travellers with export-ready Indigenous tourism businesses who will be accepting visitors this summer; a series of Zoom backgrounds showcasing Indigenous-experience imagery from each province and territory; and a video campaign called Virtually Yours to entice tourists.

“As a global leader in advancing Indigenous tourism, our goal is to help create, support and market Canada’s Indigenous cultural experiences in a memorable and authentic way that embraces our collective efforts, honours our traditions and demonstrates our unity,” says Keith Henry, President and CEO of ITAC. “To help achieve this, we’ve created Destination Indigenous to simplify the process for visitors wanting to discover the heritage of our country by providing a one-stop-shop where they can find the amazing experiences that our Indigenous communities have to offer.”

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting global tourism, Canada’s Indigenous tours, activities and communities welcomed visitors from around the world – sharing rich, transformative travel experiences that showcase a modern, authentic culture. Destination Indigenous celebrates this once-thriving sector in the hopes of leading it on a path to recovery, linking travellers to an emotional experience that flows from: a grounding with the natural environment; a sense of welcome; positive interactions; a feeling of vibrancy; and a desire to connect.

“Now more than ever, in light of the drastic effects that COVID-19 has had on the Indigenous tourism sector, it is important to promote and support the Indigenous tour, activity and experience operators that have welcomed visitors from around the world into their communities,” says Henry. “With over 40,000 people employed by this industry, we have turned our efforts to advocacy – requesting much-needed federal financial relief for businesses – and now, towards the promotion of domestic tourism through the Destination Indigenous campaign.”

The Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada represents 1700 SMEs with the aim of sharing rich, transformative travel experiences that showcase a modern, authentic culture.

The Destination Indigenous campaign will continue to roll out new elements to promote and support the tourism industry towards recovery and resiliency over the coming months. 

Note: Due to COVID-19, many Indigenous communities and experiences are still closed to visitors in order to stop the spread of the virus. We encourage people to explore the Destination Indigenous booking platform regularly as member experiences will be added on an ongoing basis as they get the approval from the government to welcome guests. There will be a multitude of experiences tailored to various interests to discover.